


Heaven Knows

by Gemmiel



Category: Supernatural
Genre: 10.17, Implied Destiel - Freeform, M/M, Spoilers, inside man - Freeform, mention of dean x lisa
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-24
Updated: 2015-03-24
Packaged: 2018-03-19 11:36:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,070
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3608619
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Gemmiel/pseuds/Gemmiel
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sam and Cas get advice from an old friend about how to remove the Mark of Cain.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Heaven Knows

**Author's Note:**

> Just a little fragment of a story about what I would like to see happen in 10.17, "Inside Man." Spoilers for that episode. Implied Destiel.

“How’ve you been, boy?”

Bobby Singer’s spirit flickered, but the affection in his eyes was clear as he gazed at Sam Winchester and the angel Castiel. Sam hadn't seen Bobby in years, and he felt his throat close up with emotion. The old man had practically raised him and Dean, and he'd missed the old hunter more than he'd let himself realize.

“I’m okay, Bobby," he said, “but Dean...”

“The damn idjit’s gone and gotten himself in trouble again. The Mark of Cain. Yeah, I know all about it."

“You found out about that in Heaven?” Castiel said, frowning. “But each soul has its own Heaven, each separate from the rest...”

Bobby snorted, which caused him to flicker more than before. “You really think we don’t get news up there, son? Maybe you haven’t heard, but the management’s changed. Friend of yours, I hear-- an angel by the name of Hannah. She’s opened things up a lot, so we can all communicate, and Ash and I set up a hunters’ network that’d make you boys proud. A demon can’t take a piss down on Earth without us hearin’ about it. Trust me, Heaven knows.”

“Okay,” Sam said, feeling less weighted down than he had in weeks. Bobby’s gruff affection and no-nonsense attitude had that effect on him. “So the problem is, we can’t find a cure for the Mark in the lore.”

Bobby shook his head. “I’m disappointed in you, boy. Thought you were smarter than that. All them books I read you when you were a kid, and you still can’t come up with the answer?”

“The books you read me? Bobby, when we visited you, you hardly had any kids’ books. You just read me the Andrew Lang books. The Blue Fairy Book, the Red Fairy Book...” At Cas’ puzzled look, he added, “Stories by the Brothers Grimm, Charles Perrault, Hans Christian Andersen.”

“Ah,” Cas said, nodding. “Fairy tales.”

“Exactly. But that’s not really lore, Bobby.”

“You sure about that, boy? Ain't you realized by now that there's a little kernel of truth in every story? You think I read you those books for fun? Maybe I read ‘em to you ‘cause I thought you might need ‘em someday.”

“Not sure how those could help Dean," Sam grumbled. "Those books were violent as hell. Evil queens dancing themselves to death, wolves being disemboweled, teenagers flinging themselves into the ocean to die...”

Cas frowned. “The versions of fairy tales I have seen on television are not that violent.”

“They’ve been prettied up quite a bit in modern times,” Bobby said. “But the answer’s still right there, and it can save your brother, Sam.”

“Okay,” Sam said, nodding. “It’s been years, but I think we have the Lang books somewhere in the bunker library. Maybe if I drag them out and go through them...”

“Sam,” Cas broke in, “I am not sure extensive research is required. I have been watching a television show based on fairy tales in the evenings, when I have nothing else to do. I have found the interaction between the evil queen Regina and her stepdaughter Snow White to be very interesting...”

“You’ve been watching _Once Upon a Time,_ Cas? Seriously?”

“Traveling alone is dull and monotonous,” the angel said with dignity. “And I have no one to talk to, most evenings. Television is... comforting. But to get back to my point, the strongest magic in fairytales is always--”

“True love’s kiss!” Sam snapped his fingers as he got it. But then he frowned, and turned back to the hunter's spirit. “Are you serious, Bobby? Can that really get rid of something as old and powerful as the Mark?”

“Ain’t no magic older or more powerful than love, boy.” Bobby flickered more than before, and cursed in a very unHeavenly way. “Damn it, I’m losing my connection. Look, Sam, you gotta find Dean’s true love-- and this is one case where family don’t count, so don’t you be making those faces at me. Yeah, I know you mean more to Dean than anybody on Earth, but no one expects you to kiss your brother. Wouldn’t work anyway. It’s gotta be _romantic_ love.”

“Lisa,” Sam said. “She was Dean’s longest relationship. Maybe if we find her... would that work, Bobby?”

“Sorry, boy. Not allowed to give you all the answers,” Bobby said, but then his voice seemed to break up like a bad radio signal. "Not... all... some... yourself..." He flickered almost into nonexistence, then reappeared just long enough to add in an affectionate tone, "Idjit."

Then he faded out entirely.

Sam barely resisted the urge to slam his fist into the table where they'd done their seance. “ _Damn_ it!”

“Sam...” Cas frowned so deeply his forehead furrowed. “I promised Dean I would not give Lisa back her memories, and to be absolutely certain I’m not sure if it would be safe for me to return them to her at this point. So many years have passed that the shock of it might kill her.”

"Okay, so Lisa's out." Sam sighed. “I have to be honest with you, Cas, I’m not so sure Lisa’s his one true love, anyway. I mean, he loved her, yeah. Obviously he did. But if he’d really loved her _that_ much, I figure he would’ve gone back to her before now, no matter what. And Bobby obviously didn’t think she was the one...”

Cas frowned. “I am unaware of any other woman Dean has been with for a long period of time.”

“He hasn’t been. I mean, he fell for someone in high school, and there was this girl he loved when he was maybe twenty, but he didn't stay with either of them long. There’s just no one he’s been with for a really long time, except me and...” Sam trailed off, and stared at Cas so long the angel grew visibly concerned.

“Sam?” he inquired at last. “Are you all right?”

“Yeah. Yeah, I’m fine.” Sam felt the corners of his mouth quirk up as the first real hope he'd felt in months poured through him. “I think I have an idea. Listen, Cas... this might sound kind of crazy, but there’s something you gotta do for me.”

“If it is within my power,” the angel replied solemnly, “I will gladly do it. What do you want me to do?”

Sam grinned.

“I want you to kiss Dean,” he said.


End file.
